Citizens of Limerick: Jen Ronan

Born and raised in Limerick, Jen Ronan explains what attracted her to living in Limerick city centre.

“I used to live in London and Dublin and over the years I found it was nice but really lonely. I find really big towns a bit freaky. Over the years I’ve lived in different places I’ve found that I will always come back home. I’m still very much a home-bird and I just really like Limerick. It suits me, personally, and it suits the people that I know and hang out with and that nice really good arts and creative community here. The people I hang out with tend to be quite creative.”

“I always wanted to live in the city centre, wherever I was anyway,” she says, “I had this fantasy life in my head that I would be living in a lovely apartment by myself and writing and just being famous. I’m pretty close to that apart from not being famous or having loads of money!” she quips, “I just always really liked it and I like that Limerick is not too big.”

When she speaks about Limerick, Jen is certain of what she loves about the city and its people “People tend to be really close, and the city tends to be really close. Limerick people are good and outspoken; they’re bold!”

With many friends involved in what some might call the “alternative” scene, Jen sees the city in a different light. “It seems to me like the alternative in Limerick is the mainstream, it’s like a punk kind of city. The metal scene is quite big in Limerick with The Siege festival in Dolan’s every year and the alternative DJ sessions are huge as well. I know lots of people into filming, editing and roller derby. So from what I can see it seems to be more mainstream than mainstream stuff. Well that’s my kind of take on it anyway.”

Jen Ronan is a blogger and writes about mental health issues and the new trend for adult colouring books. Her writing has got her a seat as a panellist on TV3’s Midday programme.

“I think I jumped on it just as it was taking off here in Ireland. Lots of radio people were talking to me about adult colouring books because of my blog.”